


Summer Time (ZaDr Week)

by cupidty11



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Other, Summer, Zadr Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-16
Updated: 2017-05-21
Packaged: 2018-11-01 10:12:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10919712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cupidty11/pseuds/cupidty11





	1. Bees

ZIM feared many things, Dib realized. As unafraid as the irken pretended to be, with all his bravado and arrogance, it still obvious how uneasy he got around large bodies of water. How he stiffened at the mention of zombies or germs. Dib could even mostly understand his fears. Except when it came to bees.

“They’re not going to hurt you, you know?” He murmured, watching the disguised irken as he suddenly went tense. A low buzz signaled the insects’ arrival. It swirled around their bodies while ZIM’s hands curled into fists.

They sat upon a blanket at the park, taking advantage of the new warm weather.

“Shut up.” Came the alien’s terse reply. And it was a testament to his fear, really. Any other time and Dib’s ears would be burning with a rant, shouted at, things like ‘how dare you even suggest’s and ‘of course I’m not afraid’s.

But, Dib also knew that ZIM’s emotional state often leaned towards the intense. Meaning he found it difficult to feel more than one thing at once. But, he felt it strongly and deeply.

Dib sat up from his inclined position to be closer to his…his…whatever ZIM was. Boyfriend felt too…simple for the bizarre depths of them. A relationship that had first been soul burning hatred and had over the course of years become obsession before it faded into something softer, calmer, but by no means lesser.

“They’re just bees. Not interested in you, or me. Just in flowers and junk.”

ZIM merely scowled, shoulders high. “I know this.” His violet lenses were focused on the round, fuzzy body of the bee as it flitted about, innocuously. It hovered above a nearby wildflower before settling upon it.

Dib carefully leaned his shoulder against ZIM’s. He wasn’t very warm, but his presence was enough to have heat spread in his stomach.

It only got worse as he felt ZIM relax, minutely. That had also taken time. Learning how to effectively tame a temperamental irken, to calm him from rage or a particularly destructive idea, to bring him back from the brink of terror or panic. Hard work but, Dib knew it was worth it. It had all been worth it.

“I won’t let any bees get you.” The human replied. ZIM’s expression flitted from his fear, it flitted between indignation and humor before settling somewhere in between and, as per usual, staying there.

“I do not need a weak human to protect me from…something as pathetic as a bee.” He sniffed, but there was a tilt to his lips that threatened to grow into a pleased smile.

“Well, if you’re sure…”

“I am positive, Dib-brain.” ZIM’s shoulders were back to being relaxed and the human gave into the urge to lean forward and press their foreheads together. He got to see the irken’s humor fade to a familiar soft expression. It consisted of heavy lidded eyes and slightly parted lips. He knew that if those horrible contacts were gone, the magenta would’ve darkened and danced. “Oh.You…” ZIM’s breathing sped up. He always seemed surprised, always acted like it was new, like it was an amazing scientific find…

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the bee as it bumbled away, in search of new horizons.

“Want to get out of here?” Dib leaned forward just a bit more, to rub his nose against the place where ZIM had none. He knew now that it was an extremely intimate irken way to show affection. His…mate? Partner? Lover? Shuddered slightly and nodded, a bit too enthusiastically, nearly knocking their heads together, painfully.

Dib smirked at the action and that smirk evolved into a full-on grin as ZIM jumped to his feet, yanking the human along.


	2. Summer Date

They never called it dating. 

Honestly, Dib wasn’t sure if that was even what it was. ZIM was an alien from a genocidal war machine of an empire. Dib was inept at anything approaching human normalcy. 

Not to mention, they had history with a capital H. They had tried to kill each other at one point. More than once. 

It wasn’t exactly conductive to candle light dinners or bouquets of flowers. 

The two of them were…something. No longer enemies. That ship had firmly crashed and burned several years ago. Friends… yeah. They had trust and stupid jokes. They watched each other’s backs. They might have tried to kill each other once upon a time but, they had also saved each other’s lives just as often.

Sure, they were friends. 

If friends also spent hours together, exploring each other’s bodies, kissing and other wise physically occupied. 

So yes, they never called it dating…but, they went for walks and stopped for ice cream, taking about anything and everything. They hung out in Dib’s room and played video games, drinking sodas and stopping every ten minutes or so to kiss like it had been weeks since the last one. They watched terrible horror movies and spent hours dissecting them mercilessly while tangled on the couch.

It wasn’t perfect. Far from it. They argued and bickered, near constantly. They disagreed on many things, in fact, most things. But, no matter how loud they yelled, how long one of them stayed away, angry or sulking…they ended up back together.

Theirs wasn’t something made from whims and quick passion. It had been forged for years, in the fires of hatred. It had come from obsession and curiosity and loneliness. They’d withstood death and terror, revenge and jealousy. 

They’d come through it all and he thought they were rather well adjusted in spit of everything.

Dib knocked on the door and only had to wait a minute before it swung open.

“Where have you been?” ZIM scowled, arms crossed over his chest. Even while obviously angry, Dib still felt his heart speed up at the sight. Still felt a rush of relief and pleasure as it rolled over him. They’d seen each other two days ago. They’d talked over IM last night. And his body reacted like it had been ten years.

The human took a second to admire today’s fashion monstrosity; a bright yellow sundress, knee high black boots, and a giant floppy, neon pink sun hat. 

“I told you I had to stop and talk to dad.” Dib replied, patiently. ZIM didn’t seem assuaged. He continued to glower. The human didn’t mind. It put a nice angry lavender blush over the irken’s skin, highlighting his faint freckles.

“Uh huh.”

“I’m serious. Check our conversation from last night.”

ZIM’s eyes narrowed. “Do not try to distract me.”

Dib rolled his eyes. “Do you want to fight? Or do you want to actually do something productive?”

The irken sniffed. “That depends. What do you have planned, Dib-stink?” Oh good, the insults were making an appearance. He tried his best not to roll his eyes again.

“Just come with me, yeah?”

The irken sighed as if he was extremely put out, as if they hadn’t planned this, as if he was being pulled away from something of great importance.

“Very well. But, it better be good.”

They didn’t call it a date, but Dib took ZIM far away from the city. Because ZIM hated the tall sky scrapers, the polluted air, the noise, the way people loomed over him and walked too close. He took ZIM to their old family cabin, where there was nothing around for miles. Nothing but, trees and flowers and sunshine. And at night there were a million stars in the sky.

It wasn’t a date, except he brought a large basket full of sugary sweets, soda and chips, candy and literal bottles of syrup and honey just for the irken’s ridiculous palate.

ZIM acted like he wasn’t pleased but, it showed all over his stupid face. How could someone with no eyebrows, pupils or nostrils be so expressive? 

Maybe he wasn’t. Maybe Dib had just gained the knowledge over years of careful observation.

Dib had never asked ZIM on a date, to date him, but they walked along the edge of a still lake, hands brushing but never meeting. Each touch sent a thrill up his spine. ZIM made scathing comments about everything in sight. But, Dib had learned long ago that if ZIM didn’t want to be somewhere, he would be gone. He made his mind up and stuck to it, with a single-minded determinism that was admirable and slightly frightening.

They paused for a second. The human watched ZIM kneel and yank something from the ground before he held it out to his companion.

“Here.” He said, trying to seem casual.

It was a dandelion. Giant and bright yellow. Dib felt like an idiot because his heart skipped a beat. He was stupid because he took it from the irken’s hand and held onto it. God damn, he was so fucking dumb because he suddenly felt like he could fly because his equally as dumb alien lover had tried to be romantic.

“Thanks, Spaceboy.” He grinned and twirled it between his fingers. “You know this is a weed, right? People spend money to get rid of these things.”

ZIM shoved him in response. Dib nearly fell into the lake but, he laughed anyway. And as if unable to help himself, as if all he needed was the sound of Dib’s to make it okay, ZIM laughed too. He shoved the irken back and they ended up on the ground, hands grappling and bickering. And without knowing how, they were kissing.

Dib knocked the irken’s hat off, one hand cupping his head, the other falling to the other’s chest to press against it, to feel for his strange pulse. To wait.

ZIM’s breath hitched in his chest, as Dib gently pried his mouth open. There. The subtle vibration, distinctly alien, pleased and warm. Purring and clicking. A tangible sign of ZIM’s pleasure. 

The irken squirmed closer, leaning heavily on him. Soon both clawed hands were grabbing his face, as if to hold him in place, to prevent him from escaping. 

He had no plans of going anywhere. Not now. Probably not ever.

They never called it dating but, Dib knew he would never want to kiss another mouth. Never want one that wasn’t alien, with a long ridged tongue and odd zipper like teeth. Wouldn’t want to run his hands along anyone else’s body. The strange curves and edges that spoke of a strange bone structure. Would never desire anyone else’s hitched breath or purring, their innocent enthusiasm. The almost reverent eagerness. The way ZIM’s kisses could be methodical (like he was running an experiment) or greedy (like he was trying to wring every drop of pleasure from the experience).

Dib knew he would never want anyone who gave him big store bought bouquets or didn’t argue with him over something stupid and inconsequential, or didn’t try to push him in lakes. Knew he wouldn’t want something as simple as a boyfriend or dating. Not when he had this beautiful, complicated mess that was impossible to detangle.

ZIM’s body vibrated with pleased purring and clicking in his throat and Dib was sure he loved him. He was as sure as he had once known he hated him.

The summer sun beat down on their intertwined bodies and Dib smiled. He felt an answering grin press against his lips.


	3. Chapter 3

“-and there’s the crow, or Corvus. And the centaur is just…ah, here! Or Centaurus, I guess.” ZIM obediently looked through the telescope, to peer at the constellations. Dib’s enthusiasm poured over him in waves. They were in the middle of an empty filed, somewhere humans hadn’t found prosperous so no one lived there. No lights, no noise. Just a million stars and the two of them.

The irken saw stars. Pinpricks of light that he knew could be long dead. They were millions or billions of light years away and the stars were gigantic balls of molten metal, gas, awesome debris of an ancient explosion. 

And human had found patterns in the them, given them shape and names. ZIM didn’t see a crow or a centaur or a spoon or whatever. But, it tickled him, none the less, to pretend.   
“Mmhmm. Very…horsey.” He blinked at the bright dots and heard the human next to him, snort with laughter. 

“Well, half horse, anyway. Hey!” ZIM nearly dropped the telescope when Dib bumped their shoulders together. He glowered at the human. “You remembered what a centaur is!” He acted like it was some great accomplishment. Which was rather stupid. ZIM was an accomplished scientist, a solider. He invented incredible things (including the advanced telescope they were using, right now). And the human was proud of him for remembering some mythical horrid creature. 

“And how would I ever forget such a monstrosity? Humans are weird. Horses are weird. Mash them together and you get something from my worst nightmares.” ZIM replied, trying to seem like he was not just a tiny bit pleased about the praise. 

Dib laughed again and it echoed across the sky. He did that a lot now. Once ZIM had found the sound to be annoying. It used to grate on his antenna and make him want to break things. Now though…He relished in his ability to cause it. The human’s laugh meant he was pleased, happy. And when ZIM was the source of it, he knew he was at the center of Dib’s attention. 

“Good point.” Dib said, still snickering. They fell into companionable silence for a while. ZIM let the human retake the telescope and return to watching the endless black above them. It was lovely outside. The day had been scorching hot, and the heat lingered in the earth, keeping them warm from the nighttime’s chill. 

He eyed the human, his amazing eyes allowing him to see in the dark. Night made Dib look so…different. Not as pale, not as tense. He seemed relaxed, soft. ZIM fidgeted with the corner of the blanket they sat on. There was a tugging in his spooch, a churning sensation that urged him to get closer. To close the distance between them. 

Dib was the one who usually initiated any kind of…physical contact. It wasn’t that ZIM didn’t like it or…or want it. It’s just that…until Dib, he’d never done anything like it. Touching, even the barest of caresses, was very uncommon on Irk. 

ZIM edged along the blanket until he could feel the human’s body heat. And even that was enough to make his pulse race like he was doing something forbidden. Like he was breaking rules that had been set in place generations ago to prevent weakness among a people that valued violence over gentleness. 

And yet, he dared to move closer. Until the length of his arm pressed against the human’s. 

ZIM didn’t see Dib’s small smile, he was too busy staring anywhere but him, trying to get his breathing to even out. 

Dib kept one hand on the telescope, eyes still trained on the stars. But, his other arm went up to wrap around the irken’s frame.


	4. Sudden Tension

As easy as it was for them to fall together, it was probably easier for them to fall apart. 

The fact if the matter was that the two of them had a plethora of experience with arguing, with hurting each other. And sometimes, especially right now, when the increasingly hotter summer days made them irritable, it was downright easy to fall back into old habits. 

“I hope you realize how pathetic you seem.” ZIM spat. And Dib had long ago trained himself not to be on the defensive, not to take it all so seriously, to just let it slide off his back. But, now… The harsh words hit their mark. 

Dib’s hackles rose, and he closed himself off. “What is wrong with you?” 

ZIM’s already frayed temper, snapped. “There is absolutely nothing wrong with me, you worm.” There wasn’t. There was nothing wrong with him. He was perfect. “I am simply pointing out how weak you are, sitting here, whimpering and whining at me.” 

“Well, excuse me. It’s not like you haven’t’ complained literally every single second of every single day this week.” Dib jumped up from where they were sitting on his bed. He had to get away from the irken lest he do something he regret.

“I most certainly have not—“

And just because he knew ZIM hated to be interrupted, Dib spun on his heel. 

“Oh yeah? Sunday, it was the stupid bees. Monday, you said I was late, you complained the whole way to the cabin and complained while we were there and then on the way back. Yesterday, it was the grass, how stupid the idea of constellations were. And today, it’s the heat. You went on for ten minutes about it! I timed it.” 

ZIM barred his teeth, crossing his arms against the onslaught. “Shut up! All of that stuff is…are legitimate grievances about the state of this planet and the stupid things on it.”   
“Well, guess what, moron. You’re one of the things on it! Permanently! So, why don’t you stop bitching for once and just focus on all the good shit!”

Stung, ZIM growled and stood up on the bed, inching closer to the open window, wanting to escape. “Oh, yes! What Dib? What is so good about being stuck here? On a primitive, back water, ugly planet?!” 

Dib felt a sharp pang of hurt and it nearly overshadowed his anger. “If I have to tell you, ZIM, then maybe you’re right. There’s nothing for you here.” 

The irken had heard enough, he practically dove out the window. His spooch felt heavy, his eyes stung and he had no idea why. 

Dib watched him go and it took less than five minutes of screaming into his pillow, for the fury to subside leaving nothing but hurt and regret. He flopped on his back and starred at the ceiling. A cool breeze swept in from the open window and he sighed.

The heat had disappeared and in its place, there was a heaviness, a moisture in the air that signaled rain.


	5. Making Up

ZIM only hesitated for five minutes, pacing on the front step, before he knocked on the door. And he only spent the thirty seconds it took for someone to open it, wanting to run a little bit. 

It swung open and Dib was there. ZIM felt his body vibrating with the urge to run. He watched those amber eyes skirt over him, taking in everything, and it faded a bit. 

The silence hung heavy over them. His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth, his throat dry with nerves.   
“I-“  
“ZIM-“ 

They both spoke and both stopped, obviously surprised that the other had tried first. 

ZIM fought the urge to wrap his arms around himself, in some poor mimicry of the human’s embrace. He watched the emotions pass across Dib’s face and felt awe at the sheer amount. Embarrassment, anxiety, remorse, relief, sadness, happiness… a parade of feelings and ZIM knew he was the cause for most of them. 

ZIM cleared his throat and tried again. “Hello.” 

And he didn’t know how or why, but he could see it. Dib’s lip twitching upwards, nearly a smile but not quite. 

“Hi.” 

ZIM felt a tidal wave of relief at the simple word. There was so much he wanted to say, wanted to hear. He stepped closer and slowly, so Dib could push him away if he wanted to, pressed close to the human’s body. 

The words couldn’t form in his mouth, they stuck in his throat. Things like 'sorry' and 'you’re forgiven'. Things like ‘you hurt me’ and ‘you are the thing that makes Earth bearable’. Actually, more than bearable. Dib made Earth feel like home, feel beautiful and simple and like he maybe wouldn’t mind spending eternity here, as long as Dib was there. 

But, he wasn’t sure how to say these things. So, he leaned his head against Dib’s chest and hoped it was enough, for now. 

The minute that passed felt like a year. Until, strong human arms came up and wrapped around him. Then it felt like redemption. 

“Come in?” Dib murmured. ZIM nodded against his shoulder and they shuffled inside.


End file.
